The Clarksburg scandal not only destroyed the credibility of the Planning Board, it awakened a frustration with development and the problems it causes that has been simmering for years. Neighbors for a Better Montgomery, unfortunately one of the County's most influential interest groups now, tapped into that discontent and has used it to bring in a wave of slow-growth candidates into Montgomery County.

I am not so much disappointed in Silverman's loss - after all, the writing is on the wall that he isn't the most honest guy - as I am in the possibility that slow growth becomes no growth as we drop building moratoriums all over the County while waiting to build road and transit projects to which our newly elected officials have a dubious commitment.

I think the question now is whether the "sensible growth" Leggett, Elrich and Trachtenberg have pushed for will be any better than the "sensible growth" the End Gridlock team talked about four years ago. Will our schools and roads still be crowded in 2010? Will the new direction that Montgomery County takes be beneficial in the long run? And, most importantly, can slower growth still provide jobs and housing for a growing population? I'm not even sure if that makes sense, but we are about to find out.

21 comments:

Yes, we will find out. "Slow Growth" is the equivalent to closing your eyes and hoping all the problems will go away.

What will happen when these moratoriums are instated? What will happen to Wheaton and Old Towne Gaithersburg and vicinity? Will they continue to sit still and decay. Is the job done in Silver Spring? One only has to look at Takoma Park for the results “slow growth” brings. If that is what is in store for the rest of the county, this is bad news for Montgomery county.

Don't give up hope. What is lazily referred to as the "slow growth" camp is divided in reality into a smart-growth wing and a pro-sprawl wing.

At one extreme (to limit myself to losing candidates) is Tufail Ahmad, whose answer to Neighbors for a Better Montgomery's question about where to put affordable housing was to put it on the parking lots along Rockville Pike. Needless to say, he didn't get their endorsement.

At the other extreme is Betty Petrides, whose main purpose for running seems to have been to oppose the Purple Line.

Fortunately, the two returning incumbent slow-growthers, Marilyn Praisner and Phil Andrews, have good records of voting in favor of growth around Metro stations. (With the exception, in Andrews' case, of Shady Grove.) That's why most votes on development around Metro stations have been unanimous or nearly so.

What is now to be seen is whether the politicians (of all stripes, since all members of the "pro-growth" wing have frequently caved in to NIMBYs) will interpret the election results as a rejection of developer influence, or a rejection of growth.

I'm confident that Elrich, particularly, will defend Silver Spring against the further spread of "corporate" development -- returning us to the days many miss (the early '90s), when this was a neighborhood of small shopkeepers operating from spartan storefronts, when street people were not hassled by the police and when we didn't have all these bright lights and noise. Maybe he will make Jackie give back the Quarry House, and clear out all the chains (except of course Ben & Jerry's, Starbucks, Borders and Whole Foods, since they are politically in line with our views)

Leggett received the votes of just ll% of the total electorate. Only 33% (not counting provisionals) of Democrats chose to vote in his race. Two thirds thought of something better to do. His strategy appears to have included taking down hundreds of my Robin Ficker Property Tax Relief signs from the yards of homeowners on election night.I'll offer 5 Ben Franklins for the information leading to the arrest of the thief or thieves, $l,000 for information leading to the arrest of a general election candidate thief and 50 Bens for information leading to the arrest of Leggett if he was involved. Some people believe in free speach, so long as it is their own. We'll see if Ben can talk too.

I'm confident that Elrich, particularly, will defend Silver Spring against the further spread of "corporate" development -- returning us to the days many miss (the early '90s), when this was a neighborhood of small shopkeepers operating from spartan storefronts, when street people were not hassled by the police and when we didn't have all these bright lights and noise. Maybe he will make Jackie give back the Quarry House, and clear out all the chains (except of course Ben & Jerry's, Starbucks, Borders and Whole Foods, since they are politically in line with our views)

RE: If that ain't true words of Maryland Hatred then New York City is the Nations Capital and Atlanta is the Confederate Capital.

I have said this before and I will continue to say it. Anytime someone spews their bitter hatred against Economic Growth, Upscale Development, and Highway Building in Maryland are nothing more then a Maryland hater that is more then likely was not born in the state of Maryland or have never lived/pay taxes in the state of Maryland.

But there are people who would like to see us eradicate most of what's been done in SS and return to a "think small" approach, free of any "corporate" presence. They won't be able to turn back the clock on redevelopment, but they can stop it right where it is.

There is nothing wrong with wishing things were like they were in the 90's with the small stores, however-- back then, many of the small store owners lived in the neighborhood, and the shops were run by the owners and maybe neighborhood people who worked for $5/hr when $5/hr could buy a lot.

Today you have corporate owned small stores. that are paying their employeres a little more than minimum wage, but the employees can not afford to live in the neighborhood, and of course the owners of these franchises don't live in the neighborhood- so what have we given up and what have we gained-that is the subject for another long blog.

Sligo said... I have a feeling that many of those hair and nail places that I mentioned earlier are African-American owned.

There is an African restaurant (Roger Miller), and I think it's safe to assume that is African-American owned.

RE: For your information those Hair and Nail shops are owned by Dominicans(Latin Caribbeans), Eithiopeans(Northern Africans), or Koreans(Asains) not African American and when I say Africans American Businesses I am refering to Southern Soul Food Restaurants(liker the ones in Atlanta, NYC, and DC), AME Churches, etc.

Also, just because an African owns a business does not automatically make it an African American business thats just like some bigot saying that all Blacks and Latinos look the same, so you have failed to make a point.

So please tell me how you would define an "African-American" business if it is not one that is owned by African-Americans and caters to African-Americans.

Also, your point sounds a hell of a lot more bigoted if you are saying that the only kind of AA businesses are soul food restaurants and black churches. And is a church a "business"? For what it's worth, there was a "soul food" restaurant in SS, but it moved to Largo after a fire in the building.

Also, please tell me how Roadhouse Oldies doesn't fit into your narrow category of "African-American businesses". You have failed to make a point yourself.

Last time I checked, there's nothing stopping any particular group of people from opening a business in Silver Spring. Why don't you start a business if you think there is such an unfulfilled need?

Anonymous said... So please tell me how you would define an "African-American" business if it is not one that is owned by African-Americans and caters to African-Americans.

RE: Thats just it, if it is not an African American owned business then it is not an African Amnerican business.

The KEY WORD is OWNED Business not the Consumer.

Anonymous said... Also, your point sounds a hell of a lot more bigoted if you are saying that the only kind of AA businesses are soul food restaurants and black churches. And is a church a "business"?

RE: Ah ha I detect that you don't read to well; can you try and find the key word etc.:

when I say Africans American Businesses I am refering to Southern Soul Food Restaurants(liker the ones in Atlanta, NYC, and DC), AME Churches, etc.

Anonymous said...For what it's worth, there was a "soul food" restaurant in SS, but it moved to Largo after a fire in the building.

RE: For what its worth its quite odd that they never found out what caused the fire and very strange that they could not find another location within Silver Spring to build another Carolina's Kitchen.

Anonymous said...Also, please tell me how Roadhouse Oldies doesn't fit into your narrow category of "African-American businesses". You have failed to make a point yourself.

RE: Key word here is OWNED.

Anonymous said...Last time I checked, there's nothing stopping any particular group of people from opening a business in Silver Spring. Why don't you start a business if you think there is such an unfulfilled need?

RE: Neva know what the future might bring but at this current time I don't reside in Silver Spring.